My Menses Have Started in the Middle of My Expiation. What Should I Do?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

A sister has started keeping the 60 penalty fasts in December and when there was about 8 fasts left the next menses started and went over 10 days. As soon as 10 days were up she started fasting again and praying.

Does she continue keeping the fasts to complete her expiation or is it invalidated?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

Yes, she would fast the remaining days as soon as her menstrual cycle ends. In the case described, the lady did the right thing by waiting until day ten, due to continual blood, and then a ritual bath (ghusl) and fast thereafter.

The reason for this ruling is that the expiation is to fast sixty consecutive days. Fasting, however, is impermissible during the days of her menstrual cycle, so she is excused at that time, but she must be consecutive in her fasting before and after it in order to fulfil the requirement.

[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah with Tahtawi’s Gloss (2.335)]

Please also see: When Is Expiation Required For A Fast? and: I Didn’t Fast for Many Years. What Should I Do?

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.